• Prostate

For prostate cancer, several changes of patterns are observed and could be interpreted as follows:

• Initial Increase (1971–1980s): There is a gradual increase in the standardized incidence rate during the 1970s and 1980s. This could be due to improved cancer detection methods, awareness, improvement in cancer registration in the cancer registry, or an actual rise in cases.

• Significant Rise (1990s): The incidence rate shows a steep increase during the 1990s, peaking around 2000. This spike could be associated with the introduction of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing, which became widely adopted in the 1990s and significantly increased the detection of prostate cancer.

• Plateau and Decline (2000–2010s): Following the peak, the incidence rate stabilizes and then slightly decreases in the 2000s. This could indicate changes in screening guidelines or a decline in overdiagnosis due to evolving recommendations around PSA testing.

• Recent Fluctuations (2010s): The graph shows some fluctuations in the last decade, with a rise around 2016 followed by a slight decline by 2019. These variations could reflect changes in healthcare policies, diagnostic practices, or population demographics.

• Breast

The evolution of standardized incidence rates for breast cancer shown in the graph suggests the following observations:

• Stability (1971–1985): The incidence rates remain relatively stable during this period, suggesting no major changes in detection methods, screening programs, or risk factors.

• Gradual Increase (1985–1995): A steady increase in standardized incidence rates begins in the mid-1980s. This could be associated with the introduction and widespread adoption of mammography screening programs, which often lead to an initial increase in detection rates due to the identification of previously undiagnosed cases.

• Peak and Stabilization (1995–2010): Incidence rates reach a peak in the late 1990s and then stabilize during the 2000s. This plateau might indicate that the effects of widespread screening had leveled off, with most cases being detected early due to established screening programs.

• Recent Slight Increase (2010–2019): A modest increase in rates in the last decade may reflect improvements in diagnostic techniques, changes in population behaviors (e.g., delayed childbearing, use of hormone replacement therapy), or increased awareness and health-seeking behavior.

  
  
  

• Lung and Bronchus

Among men, lung and bronchus cancer show a steady decline over time, reflecting the success of anti-tobacco campaigns and a significant reduction in smoking prevalence. In contrast, women exhibit a sharp increase in lung and bronchus cancer rates during the same period. What could explain these trends?

• Decline in Men: The steady decrease in lung cancer among men can be attributed to a combination of public health initiatives, such as anti-smoking campaigns, higher taxes on tobacco products, restrictions on smoking in public spaces, and greater awareness of the health risks of smoking.
  Changes in smoking habits among men, particularly starting in the 1960s and 1970s, have had a delayed impact on cancer rates due to the long latency period of lung cancer development.

• Increase in Women: The rise in lung cancer rates among women may be linked to the later adoption of smoking by women, which peaked several decades after men. This delay is reflected in the corresponding increase in lung cancer cases.
  Tobacco companies historically targeted women with marketing campaigns that associated smoking with independence and sophistication, contributing to higher smoking rates among women in the mid-20th century.
  The persistence of smoking among some female cohorts and the latency effect of tobacco-related cancers are key factors in the continued rise.

• Conclusion: These contrasting trends illustrate the long-term effects of smoking behaviors on lung cancer incidence. The success of anti-tobacco measures in men highlights the importance of sustained public health interventions, while the increase among women underscores the need for gender-specific strategies to combat smoking and reduce the associated cancer burden.

The data used in this dashboard can be downloaded in CSV format below:

The data presented on this dashboard are extracted from Geneva’s cancer registry database (more about cancer registries on the following YouTube page)

The Geneva Cancer Registry (GCR), established in 1970, collects information on all cases of cancer diagnosed within the population of the canton of Geneva. It is the oldest Registry in Switzerland, and one of the oldest in Europe. Data collected by the GCR enables conduction of epidemiological research on cancer, with specific regard to the following: risk factors, evaluation of screening programs and prevention measures, access and quality of care, as well as the effectiveness of treatments. The GCR responds to requests for epidemiological investigations by the local health authorities (e.g. Direction Générale de la Santé) and is involved in several multidisciplinary cancer networks, which include health professionals (from both the public and the private sectors) and patients. The Registry collaborates with national and international studies, on differences within the country, and among countries, in quality of care and survival. The GCR personnel are also involved in teaching undergraduate students, lecturing in workshops, postgraduate and MOOC courses, as well as supervising the Master program, and thesis for the Doctorate in Medicine. In addition, the GCR plays an important role in cancer promotion, registration and epidemiology at national level, having initiated the creation of the National Institute for Cancer Epidemiology and Registration (NICER).

Thank to all The Graph Network team for all this incredible course. The amount of knowledge that you shared is unvaluable.